Typed letter from Kate O’Brien, Harcourt Cottage, North Leigh, Witney, Oxon to May O’Brien. Kate thanks May for the gift of a pound of butter. She is in the process of having her cottage painted and decorated by Mary O’Neill. She is looking forward to seeing Clare and has made arrangements for her at a hotel in Burford. She is sorry about Peter, Ruth and Stephie, whose flat in Bloomsbury was destroyed by a bomb.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, Harcourt Cottage, North Leigh, Witney, Oxon to May O’Brien. Kate thanks May for her parcel. She talks of Clare’s forthcoming holiday in Ireland. Kate has no holiday plans, because she is too preoccupied with the book [The Last of Summer] to be in visiting mood.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, Harcourt Cottage, North Leigh, Witney, Oxon to May O’Brien. Kate extends her condolences to May over the death of Kathleen O’Riordan. She is kept busy by various odd jobs, including bits of war work writing, which usually require travel, and finds it hard to finish her novel [The Last of Summer]. She also complains about not having to run her house without help and the increasing ration difficulties. She mentions Mary O’Neill, who is working near Reading and who is coming to see her.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickLetter from Kate O’Brien, University Women’s Club, 2 Audley Square, [London] W1 to Anne O’Mara. Kate apologises for not having written sooner, but she has lost her reading glasses without which she is helpless. She is thinking about getting a flat as she must vacate her room at the club by the end of the month and Elizabeth Sprigg’s flat is full of relatives swept in from the war. She thanks Anne for the spiced beef and tin of soup, and is looking forward to a quiet Christmas with Clare.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter in French from Kate O’Brien, The Fort, Roundstone, county Galway, Ireland to Il Signor Fernando Sacerdote, La Borsa, Piazza di Pietra, Rome, Italy. She thanks Sacerdote for his kindness to her and Lorna Reynolds during their stay in Rome and requests permission for Anne and Stephen O’Mara to turn to him should they want to buy something to read. With an envelope.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, Croyle, Cullompton, Devon to her aunt Fan Thornhill (Sister Mary Clare). Kate is sorry to hear that Fan has been very ill and wishes her a speedy recovery.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, Harcourt Cottage to Clare O’Brien. Kate has to come to London to record a talk for a BBC series in which Irish writers talk of memories of their childhood. She complains about the post and discusses the war at length. She promises to cancel her trip to Illington if Clare is facing a lonely Christmas Day. She notes that her new novel will not come out until January and that she is already struggling with the next one. Two small sections have been removed from the first page by the censor.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, 88 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, [London] SW1 to Anne, Stephen and Peter O’Mara. Kate thanks the family for their Christmas wishes and their present, which regrettably never arrived. She is sorry for the book tokens she keeps sending year after year, but in these complicated times her options are limited. She refers to business affairs, which she is reluctant to divulge in detail, but which will bring her to Ireland in March. She tells of her Christmas in Norfolk. She mentions Power O’Mara, with whom she has had a telephone conversation; and Mary [O’Neill] who continues to work as a draughtsman in a factory.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, 11 Great James Street, Bloomsbury WC1 to Anne O’Mara on notepaper bearing the Sunlight League logo. Kate gives Anne an account of the success of Distinguished Villa and St John Ervine’s scathing review of the play. She mentions her old acquaintances Captain Holden and Eddie Newman, compliments received from Sean O’Casey, and a get-together with Stephen Rynne, Betty Sheehan and Vera Turleigh in Kate’s flat.
O'Mara family of Strand House, LimerickTyped letter from Kate O’Brien, End Farm, North Leigh, Witney, Oxon to Anne O’Mara. Kate thanks Anne for her good wishes, cards and presents. She gives an account of her Christmas, which she spent with Clare fooling around Oxford and toasting each other in rather peculiar cocktails.
O'Mara family of Strand House, Limerick